Kilo Brava, The Sopranos & Retro Style
By ELLEN LEWIS
A little addendum on last month’s Kilo Brava campaign. I am a product of the Boomer generation, but I pride myself on keeping abreast of the cultural vibes in the younger cosmos. I really can’t avoid it as my staff tends to be half my age. I find it amusing that they refer to icons of my youth as retro, even vintage. So, when Kristin Bear told me that the inspiration behind her new velour collection was the Sopranos, well, like it or not, I couldn’t resist this post.
It seems Kristin and her husband, locked down during Covid, binged the entire Soprano series one weekend. Flashback to 1999 when the original broadcast of the Sopranos began and held my husband and son glued to the TV every Sunday night (streaming didn’t exist). Full disclosure, I watched one episode and could not figure out the appeal. But there was Tony and his cohorts decked out in tracksuits, scheming in their New Jersey kitchens. The award-winning show was all about the juxtaposition of their criminal lives and familial demands. It launched multiple careers and set a precedent for a new type of entertainment.
Like all things past as they circle around into the present, the message evolves. Hence the term retro. Today, the Sopranos has become a cult favorite, much the same as Kilo Brava lingerie which is right up the alley of a new flock of consumers; Millennials, Gen X and even Gen Y. I will admit, the Kilo Brava tracksuit collection threw me for a loop when Kristin first showed it to me. Although it is sized in her extensive range, S-XXXL it is not her usual design fare. Rather, it is something new for the brand. Available now in black velour and coming soon in white modal and printed bamboo knit, Kilo Brava, just like the HBO phenomenon of yesteryear, continues to break barriers.
“It Is Easily Overlooked That What Is Now Called Vintage
Was Once Brand New” Tony Visconti
